ISLAMABAD (Kashmir English): Pakistan’s passport has been the fourth weakest in the world for the fifth year running, after being ranked in position 103 by the Henley Passport Index’s 2025 Global Ranking.
The UK-based advisory firm that is an expert in citizenship and residency has published its biennial passport index, ranking 199 passports on the number of visa-free destinations in 227 global countries.
The index is created from exclusive data provided by the International Air Transport Association (IATA). Pakistani passport holders can travel to 31 countries without a visa.
There has been no improvement in its ranking, and Pakistan tied with Yemen, which was followed by Iraq, Syria, and Afghanistan, according to the recent data.
The immediate neighbours of Pakistan — China, Iran, and India — ranked 64th, 85th, and 98th in the world, respectively. Chinese citizens can have visa-free travel to 82 countries, Indians to 57, and Iranians to 41, according to the latest index.
Singapore topped the list for the fifth consecutive year, enjoying visa-free travel to 193 countries, followed by South Korea with 190 and Japan with 189.
Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Spain, and Switzerland ranked fourth, while Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Ireland, and the Netherlands shared the fifth ranking.
China itself has made an incredible leap in the last decade, from 94th place in 2015 to 64th in 2025, an improvement of 30 spots and widening its visa-free travel to 37 destinations between the years.
At the Henley Openness Index, Beijing also experienced a significant leap, presently allowing visa-free entry to 76 nations, 30 more than the United States, and positioning itself 65th overall.
For the first time in the 20-year history of the Henley Passport Index, the U.S. has dropped below the world’s top ten most influential passports, ranking 12th together with Malaysia, with visa-free travel to 180 countries.
Ranking lowest is Afghanistan, which is the least mobile country, with its people having access to only 24 countries visa-free.
